Sheldon Community Meeting, Monday, April 3

The Sheldon Community Association is holding a meeting tonight to discuss some important issues that will be impacting the area in the future. There is a proposed Tractor Supply Company store, and the Capital Southeast Connector that will eventually turn Grantline into a major thoroughfare through the area.

SHELDON COMMUNITY MEETING

Monday, April 3, 2017

6:30 P.M. The Barn Café meeting room

All residents and business owners in the Sheldon area are invited to an important community meeting at 6:30 P.M. on Monday, April 3, in the meeting room of The Barn Café. It will address three important matters requiring discussion between the community and the City of Elk Grove. Many will be affected by the projects under discussion, and this is a chance to learn about what is happening and to make your voice heard about them.

1. Proposal to locate a Tractor Supply store in Sheldon

Tractor Supply is a national chain that sells products serving people who live on small rural acreages such as those in Sheldon and Wilton. Many of us already patronize its store on Twin Cities Road in Galt, about 20 minutes from Sheldon, to purchase certain items not sold in Sheldon. It wants to build a new store, similar in size and configuration to the Galt store, on the vacant lot next door to Ace Hardware in Sheldon. It is currently in the application process with the City of Elk Grove. As part of that process, Tractor Supply has consulted the SCA board of directors, and we are calling this meeting to provide the community with an opportunity to comment on the project before it is submitted to the City.

The big question is: Do you feel that store as proposed is a good fit for the Sheldon community? There are various issues to think through. For example, while a Tractor Supply store in Sheldon would cut travel time for its customers from Sheldon, many or most of its products would compete with those now sold by existing local businesses. It is not clear that the market for these products in our area will profitably support more suppliers than we now have. How important is that to you? What kinds of relations between community and business should be encouraged? There are also issues of building design. The City planning guidelines for the Sheldon commercial area seek to retain its historic rural ambience, and hence require that the architecture of new buildings harmonize with that of existing buildings. This meeting offers Tractor Supply a chance to present its proposed store design to the community for our feedback. The City, also, will want to consider Sheldon community wishes in deciding whether to approve the Tractor Supply project, and under what conditions.

2. Progress report on planning the Connector through Sheldon.

The City of Elk Grove Public Works staff will bring the community up to date on work under way to identify the edges of the eventual connector and points of access to it. This will settle the boundaries of surrounding private properties along the route. This work is at only an interim stage, but it is far enough along for the community to take an initial look at current thinking about how the Connector and its access points should be configured as it transits Sheldon. Although we will not be discussing specific case issues in this public meeting, it will provide a chance for the community to tag issues to be addressed later. Possible alternative bicycle and equestrian trail routes through Sheldon will also be discussed.

3. Planning the future of the Sheldon commercial area.

Clarification of the configuration and edges of the Connector will make it possible for commercial area merchants to begin planning to protect the long term economic viability of Sheldon. That is necessary to cope with new economic and other pressures that will come with the Connector. A prosperous commercial area serving our area is essential to retaining Sheldon as a viable rural community. This will involve cooperation between the merchants, the community, and various City departments. We will have an introductory discussion about how this cooperation might occur.